On June 11, 2008 an F-3 tornado tore through 200 acres of the Mid-America Council’s 1800 acre Little Sioux Scout Ranch located at the Loess Hills, in Iowa. There were 124 Scouts and Scouters attending the Council’s National Youth Leadership Training Course, “Pahuk Pride”, that night when four Scouts lost their lives.

Mid-America Council plans to install a replica of the exclusive McKenzie Statue at the entrance of the Mid-America Council – Durham Scout Center, as a tribute to not only the four young men, but also to the 120 others that personified the scouting movement that night with their heroic actions and compassion for their fellow Scouts.

What is the McKenzie Statue?

Dr. R. Tait McKenzie was a surgeon, physical educator, artist, and sculptor. He was a personal friend of Lord Baden-Powell. Dr. McKenzie was a member of the Philadelphia Council Executive Board from 1911 until his death in 1938. When asked in 1914 to create something tangible “that would stand as a symbol of what scouting stood for, “Dr. McKenzie sculpted his beloved statue portraying the “Ideal Boy Scout.”

The sculptor portrayed in his statue the traits of character he knew the movement to install in a boy. To Dr. McKenzie, the uncovered head represented reverence and obedience; the ax on which the hand rests was a symbol of George Washington’s truthfulness.

The Philadelphia Council (now known as Cradle of Liberty Council) sells these life-size cast bronze statues only as an accommodation as a special request. Since the first was erected, 31 statues have been cast and are located around the world. Each of the life-size statues weighs 500 pounds and stands 6’ feet tall. They are individually cast, which is a very time consuming process and can take up to 6 months to complete. Considerable time, effort, and skill is required to supervise each casting. This is done by the Sculptor-in-Residence at Princeton University, one of Tait McKenzie’s students. He approves the location of each statue.

Other McKenzie Statue Locations:
- Boy Scouts of Canada, National Office
- Central Region Council: Naperville, IL
- Dauch Service Center, Detroit Area Council: Detroit, MI
- Gerald R. Ford Council: Grand Rapids, MI
- Gilwell Park: England
- Great Sauk Trail Council: Ann Arbor, MI
- Greater Cleveland Council: Cleveland, OH
- Indianhead Council: St Paul, MN
- Middle Tennessee Council, Brentwood, TN
- Milwaukee County Council: Milwaukee, WI
- Occoneechee Council, Raleigh, NC
- Simon Kenton Council: Columbus, OH
- Southwest Michigan Area Council: Kalamazoo, MI
- University of Pennsylvania, PA
- Winnebago Council: Waterloo, IA

This project is estimated to cost $28,000 total. The statue itself costs $15,700, shipping to Omaha $2,000, concrete base $5,000, Bronze Plaque listing the N.Y.L.T. participants $2,500, Bronze Plaque listing the contributing Councils.

The Mid-America Council is inviting all Councils to help memorialize the young heroes of June 11, 2008. If you are interesting in supporting this effort, please ask your local Boy Scout Council how they are collecting donations. A list of the Council’s that support the project will be listed on the base of the statue.

The following Councils have already forwarded their support: Evangeline Area Council; Jayhawk Area Council; Mid-Iowa Council; Northern Star Council; Okefekokee Area Council; Orange County Council; Patriot’s Path Council; Pennsylvania Dutch Council; Philmont Scout Ranch; Pine Burr Area Council; Potomac Council; Westchester-Putnam Council.

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Boy Scout Troop 96, sponsored by St. Peter Claver Church in St. Paul, presented Eagle Awards to three Scouts on August 29, bringing their total to seven young men awarded Scouting’s highest rank in 2008.

This is record number of African American Eagle Scouts within a single troop for the Northern Star Council, which serves the greater Twin Cities area. Having this many Eagles in itself is a rare accomplishment, with only four percent of Scouts attaining this goal.

Bill Butchee, the Scoutmaster who mentored all of the troop’s African American Eagle Scouts, presided at the Court of Honor; five of the troop’s recent Eagle Scouts also took part. Northern Star Council Scout Executive John Andrews was also on hand to congratulate the new Eagles and lead them in the “Eagle Charge.”

Andrews says of this accomplishment, “Scouting has been for all children for nearly 100 years. There is no better realization of that aspiration than to see young men of all ethnicities, belief systems, incomes and communities strive for and achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.”

The troop’s three newest Eagles are:
• Nathan Knight, Apple Valley: graduate of Apple Valley High School, currently attends Normandale Community College, plans to study civil engineering at the U of M.
• Jacob Schwartz, Oakdale: 12th grader at Mounds Park Academy; plays varsity football; active in concert band, men’s chorale, concert choir, Peer Leaders group and Mosaic, a group that encourages diversity.
• Albert Williams Jr., Minneapolis: graduate of Minneapolis Inter-District Downtown High School; currently attends Hamline University, where he hopes to study marine biology, education, and multilingual education.
Four other Scouts from Troop 96 received their Eagle awards in April. They were:
• Paris Michuta, Minneapolis: graduate of Minneapolis Inter-District Downtown High School, attends Hennepin Community College.
• Paul Ndayizeye, St Paul: graduate of St. Paul Central High School, attends Hennepin Community College.
• Jonathan West, St. Paul: graduate of DeLaSalle High School, attends Hennepin Community College.
• Jonathan Williams, Minneapolis: graduate of DeLaSalle High School, attends University of Minnesota, Mankato.
Another three members of Troop 96 received Eagle awards from 2003 to 2005:
• William J. Butchee III, Eagan: graduate of Eagan High School, attends University of Wisconsin-Stout.
• Derrick D. Butchee, Eagan: graduate of Eagan High School, attends University of Wisconsin-Stout.
• Christopher Jackson, Bloomington: graduate of Breck School, attends Occidental University.

This article was provided by Northern Star Council-Boy Scouts of America.

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